Let's see....the levees failed because there were no resources to repair them (never mind the damage the levees did to Mother Nature's own flood control strategy), the people died because the public resources could not be mobilized to reach them in time (the nicest way I can think of to put it), and we continue to spend billions on waging wars that were started from falsehoods.

In their inimitable take-action kind of way the U.S. Senate has now taken the heartwarming step of postponing a vote on H.R. 8, a bill that would permanently repeal the estate tax. Don't misunderstand, Senator Frist still intends to bring the bill to a vote this year (later, when the TV cameras leave New Orleans, no doubt) because the number one thing we need right now is more tax cuts for the rich.

Why is this blog called Philanthropy 2173?

This is a blog about the future. The year 2173 seems sufficiently far enough in the future to give us some perspective. As sure as we are of ourselves now, talking about the future - and making philanthropic investments - requires that we keep a sense of modesty and humor about what we are doing. Philanthropy is for the long-term - for the year 2173.